Tag Archives: Unai Emery

Positive, positive Arsenal

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As I sit here on Sunday afternoon writing this I am in a relaxed and reflective mood.

A weekend of seeing family, a BBQ in the sun and then a pub lunch in Epping Forest on Sunday in the rain, I have had a cracking weekend even if it meant I missed going to The Arsenal.

And The Arsenal result has certainly helped with my mood.

After a tough two opening games for Unai Emery, we face West Ham on Saturday, winning 3-1 in what was a fairly rusty display.

Some tried to paint Emery as a man under pressure. I saw one journalist say he was “favourite for the sack race”, and that he was under tremendous pressure from the Arsenal fans.

It was certainly a case of the journalist trying to create a story rather than report the news.

The only people I have seen being super-negative about the start of the Emery-era are attention seeking wankers in social media.

Regardless of whether they were previously Wenger-In or Wenger-Out, there is an equal number abusing Emery for RTs and recognition. On both sides, thy have shown themselves as not true Arsenal fans and are best off ignored.

As for the game, I was not at it as have only seen brief highlights on Match if the Day.

From the 8 minutes of football I saw, the following observations were made:

  • Sokratis is the proper defender we have missed for a decade
  • There is a player in Granit Xhaka; he just needs to be used correctly
  • We need to play Lucas Torreira behind Xhaka
  • Mkhitaryan is a different player when Ozil isn’t playing

There are clearly some huge positives to be taken from the beginning of the Emery-era; even if it has taken 3 games to get the first positive result.

The difference between the Liverpool / Arsenal punditry made interesting listening too.

They heavily criticised Arsenal for sending both full backs forward, but then praised Liverpool for employing the same tactics and saying “thats the modern game”.

It highlights that the “expert” pundits will change their mind on tactics depending on what agenda they want to pursue.

In this case it was criticise Arsenal & praise Liverpool.

What would have been good is for someone to take the time comparing the way both sides set up.

The issue is not that Arsenal’s full backs bomb forward, but the lack of cover they get from their midfielders.

Liverpool played with Georginio Wijnaldum and James Milner sitting.

Both men would cover outwide when their full backs bomb forward.

Manchester City use a different tactic, with Fernandinho sitting between the centre backs creating a back 3 when Kyle Walker and Benjamin Mendy bomb on.

Arsenal’s problem is, and has been probably since Gilberto Silva left the club, that no one in the middle of the park covers the full backs when the go forward.

It just further supports playing Torreira and Xhaka together.

A two man shield will mean that we can have a solid 4 men covering the full backs when the are in the opposition box.

It is all about balance.

Whilst I have mentioned Liverpool. They are top. 9 points from 9; and are being talked up as potential champions. The crown already on their head.

But they have played West Ham (h), Crystal Palace (a) & Brighton (h).

Some perspective is needed.

Last season, Arsenal were awful in finishing 6th. Yet they beat West Ham (h), Crystal Palace (a) & Brighton (h).

So had we had Liverpool’s opening 3 games this season in 2017/18, we would have been top of the league, 9 points out of 9.

This season I would expect Arsenal to win all 3 of the games Liverpool have – we have already won 1 of the 3.

We are 3 games into the season. Just like Arsenal were not a bad team after losing to Manchester City and Chelsea, beating West Ham, Crystal Palace and Brighton does not make Liverpool a great team.

Have a good bank holiday Monday and it is back to football on Sunday with a visit to Cardiff.

Let’s be positive and ignore those negative attention seekers.

Keenos

Arsenal fans need to “have a little patience”

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Manchester City were not going to become a bad team over the summer.

Likewise, after just 8 weeks with his players, Unai Emery was never going to turn us into world beaters.

City broke the Premier League points record in 2018/19, and anyone who watched them demolish Chelsea in the Community Shield would have known they had lost none of their superiority over the rest of the Premier League.

At half time, a chap in front of my in the queue for a beer said “why are we letting a team come to our ground and dominate us”. It showed a lack of respect for City, who will probably dominate all 38 league games this season.

Whilst City might have been without Kevin de Bruyne, Vincent Kompany and David Silva, they were still able to put out the world must expensively assembled defence with Kyle Walker costing more than our entire back back 5.

They also added Riyad Mahrez to a collection of brilliant forward players. Leroy Sane spent the entire game warming up – showing he is missed more by his country than his club.

It has to be remembered it too Pep Guardiola 12 months and £500m to build last years Premier League champions, so anyone who expected Emery to turn Arsenal into a side that could compete with City after 8 months and £70million spent perhaps needed to get a reality check.

The game was not a complete disaster, result withstanding, however their were some valid concerns.

Petr Cech was at fault for the first goal and nearly put a 2nd into his own net. I am not really sure why he started above Bernd Leno.

Another to have a predictably poor game was Granit Xhaka, who also had an average World Cup for Switzerland.

Matteo Guendouzi was fantastic, bar a silly error that nearly cost a goal. And Xhaka has to be worried about both the Frenchman’s ability and that if Lucas Torreira. It would not be a surprise to see both move ahead of the Swiss player as the season go’s on.

It was an error strewn game from Arsenal’s point of view, but you could see the players trying hard to play the game in the new managers vision.

We as fans need to give Emery the time to build the club.

Look at Jürgen Klopp at Liverpool; who is starting his 4th season in the Premier League. Liverpool finished 4th last season, their highest finish under the German. He is yet to win anything in England.

Spurs are the same under Mauricio Pochettino. He is also trophyless.

These managers are still being given the benefit of the doubt behind Manchester City.

I did not expect us to turn big champions overnight. Even competing for the title against a City side who won the league by 20 points last season is a big ask.

Playing against City in his opening game, we were never really going to see how Emery has changed the club.

Up next is Chelsea…

Keenos

New signings and contract extensions galore at The Arsenal

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How refreshed do Arsenal feel at the moment?

I have said it a few times before, since Arsene Wenger left, the club feels like a breath of fresh air.

The last couple of years under the Frenchman felt stale and predictable. Our transfers resembled someone playing roulette nobody can be successful without a proper strategy.

No matter what happened people would moan. Fans were staying away, many of those that went were struggling to maintain interest. There was a lack of enthusiasm at the club.

Everything feels different this summer.

From the huge turnover of backroom staff at London Colney, to the new ideas and vigour bought by the axis of power now leading the club. It all just feels fresh, feels exciting.

Add in record season ticket renewals and it is only the real bitter people, those with an agenda, an online personality and following based on negativity that continue to moan and complain.

One look at the BBC home page highlights how positive things are…

We have Calum Chambers signing his new contract – a surprise considering many thought he would leave the club.

Then we have the signings, Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Bernd Leno both having joined the club in the last 2 weeks.

They create a bit of a shit sandwich with the only disappointing news on the page being about Jack Wilshere leaving the club. Although this is the right decision for both.

We then have even more positive contract news.

Granit Xhaka, who I think will have a massive season next year as he is pushed further forward, and Ainsley Maitland-Niles signing new deals.

There is still plenty of talk about Lucas Torreira, who is expected to join after the World Cup  as well as the news of Arsenal signing Stephan Lichsteiner on a free transfer fro Juventus.

The last bit of news on the site that will hopefully be concluded within the next week is Aaron Ramsey’s new contract.

It is still unsigned, but the feeling is it is only a matter of time.

However you felt about Arsenal in recent years, there has been plenty to be positive about in the last 3 qweeks.

I am buzzing for the new season.

Keenos